Kid's New Partner
by Star-Spangled Jaguar
Summary: Recently revised for betterness! Kid, Liz, and Patty must learn to get along with yet another partner, but this is no ordinary partner. Can the four of them learn to fight as a team and keep from hurting the other students? Rated T for mild violence.
1. Patrol

It was the night before the freshmen orientation, and Kid walked through the streets of Death City looking for soon to be students out after curfew. It was a dangerous time to be out at night. The kishin, Asura, had been revived and could strike at any moment. And with the added threat of Arachne, the heretic witch, it was barely safe for a shinigami like himself to be out, let alone new students to the academy. So Kid continued his patrol down the main road that led to the school, shivering from the unusually cold night. He wished his weapons were here with him. He felt safer with his twin pistols by his side and for good reason. Meisters must depend on their weapons just as much as weapons depend on their meisters.

Kid reached the front of the school and admired it. His father's school was perfect in every way, and he wished he could lose himself in the symmetry, melt away into a sound sleep. But it was his job, and his job alone, to watch the streets of Death City tonight. He sighed at the thought. _If only I could sleep._ Kid snapped backed to the real world at the sound of footsteps approaching him from behind. He turned quickly and took a defensive stance.

"Who's there?" Kid asked the darkness. He could feel himself shaking.

"Friend," a voice called back as cold as the night was.

Kid used his sixth sense to see the soul nearby. "If you're a friend, then show yourself," he demanded even though he could recognize the soul mere feet from him.

"YAHOO!" The shout could be heard for several blocks. "Kid, I know you can see my soul!"

"Black Star, please be quiet." The female voice emanating from his weapon was small and gentle. "Kid's on patrol, and you're going to give away his position."

"Tsubaki's right. You shouldn't be out here." Kid spoke harshly, but his voice still shook. "My father gave me this job and instructed everyone else to remain in their homes. I could have you written up for this."

"If this job is so dangerous, then where are your weapons?" Black Star's tone mimicked the cold sting of the night."

"I don't appreciate being questioned. Go home." Kid glared at him. "Now."

"Come on, Black Star. Kid has to be out late on these patrols then still go to school in the morning. Let's go home."

Kid could only watch as his friends headed in the direction of their warm beds, wishing he could do the same.

Kid walked aimlessly through the streets for another three hours before he heard the clock strike midnight. The teacher patrols would be heading home now, leaving him to wander alone. No more passing friendly faces and exchanging small smiles to brighten the unusually dark night. As he headed to the front of the school, he thought of his father. _Why would he put me through this much physical and mental torture night after night? No, he loves me, and he would never put me in danger. Maybe it's just a test._ Kid had already collected 198 souls that had become kishin eggs. All he needed to complete his weapons were the two witch souls, and it was hard enough to beat one.

"Kiddo!" Patty called from the steps to the school.

"Patty, be quiet," Liz scolded.

"It doesn't matter. I ran into Black Star earlier, so our cover's already blown." A hint of anger could be detected in Kid's voice.

"I'm sure it'll be fine Kid. What makes tonight the night for an incident? We haven't even had any false alarms in the week we've been out here."

Kid nodded. Though she didn't always use it, Liz could always reassure him. No matter how bad things got. "Time to transform."

"Kay!" Patty raised a hand into the air in her usual energetic fashion before transforming.

It was now well after one in the morning. The time had passed slowly as Kid spent most of it focusing on the moon. He couldn't stop thinking that its hysterical laughter was directed at him, and he swore it was bloodier than usual. _Maybe it's just the madness wavelengths. _These wavelengths, emanating from the soul of the kishin, caused the insanity within a person to grow. _It makes them afraid._ And those with the strongest sixth senses were affected most. Kid knew this feeling. He remembered the night in the underground quite clearly though it was long in the past. He remembered how the madness had caused him to hallucinate. He remembered how he slowly filled with fear. How he passed out from barely being touched.

"Kid," Liz spoke smoothly and with a sweetness. "You're shaking."

"I'm sorry." Kid was honest. "Something doesn't feel right."

"It's okay Kiddo! We're here. You're just tired."

How Patty still had energy after staying up this late, he would never know.

"She's right. Just keep going Kid. If something doesn't feel right, it doesn't feel right, but we have no reason to freak out yet."

"Of course. I'm sorry." Kid picked his pace back up. _I have to focus or I'll be jumping at shadows. Focus. _Kid walked a few more blocks. _Focus._ He froze. _Someone's here._

"Aren't those the multicolored chalk drawing things the kishin makes?"

Liz's question came too late. Kid was already unconscious.


	2. Arguing With Myself

The next morning, Kid stood at the bottom of the steps to the academy. He watched the returning students ascend to the entrance on their way to class, and he could hear the teachers joyfully greeting them. It was just another day for them. They had no idea what had happened the night before. Why Kid wasn't heading to class himself. Why Shinigami-sama was so preoccupied. Why Liz and Patty were worried. Why Kid could feel himself slowly losing his sanity.

_Pull yourself together, idiot._ Kid could hear another voice resonating in his soul. _Wipe that crazy smile off your face and act normal. Our lives are on the line here._ Kid rubbed his face with his hands roughly like one would to wake from a nightmare.

"Hey, you okay?" Liz put a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah. I'm just tired." Kid didn't entirely lie, but he wasn't telling the whole truth. And it made him want to laugh.

"Good morning guys." A cheerful voice spoke from behind him. "Aren't you coming to class?"

"Hi Maka! Lord Death pulled us out of class today," Patty chimed in her usual way.

"Makes sense that Shinigami-sama would want his son to help with the freshmen orientation." Soul's voice was sarcastic as he watched Kid stand lifelessly. "After all, you are the strongest of our class."

"Be nice! He's a shinigami. Of course he's the strongest." Maka huffed and skipped up the stairs, Soul dragging his feet behind her.

A few minutes later the bell for first period rang. Kid sighed. It was now time to wait for the new students to arrive, and then supervise them as they socialized with their new classmates and possibly picked a partner. He had no idea how he was supposed to make these children feel welcome. He could feel nothing but sadness and fear. _I would rather be in class where I could zone out and have no one pay attention to me._ After a pause, he heard the strange voice again. _We both know that wouldn't work. You need to concentrate to keep the Soul Protect going. So why don't you actually make an effort to get used to my wavelength before you get us both killed._

"Don't talk to me like that, you ungrateful little-"

"Kid!" Liz spoke forcefully, but not loudly. "You two have the same relationship a meister and weapon have. Would you say something like that to me or Patty?"

"No. Meisters are ultimately responsible for their weapons." Kid exhaled loudly. "I'm sorry for yelling."

_No master, I'm sorry. I shouldn't talk back to you like that._

"New student at six o'clock! Looks like a meister."

Kid jumped at Patty's sudden exclamation and whipped around. He looked at the child before him. She was smaller and looker younger than most freshmen. She was also twenty minutes early.

"I heard yelling. Were you upset with your weapon?" She spoke in a gentle but somehow evil way. "Weapons shouldn't argue with their meisters."


	3. Orientation

Kid smiled. The freshmen were so carefree. So unaware of the danger they could be put in at any second. Kid could feel himself drifting off to sleep. He wished he could stay home. Soul Protect was a difficult spell, and learning it so hastily was putting everyone in danger. _What do I do if I lose control of it? I could try to hold in his wavelengths with my own soul, but I'd probably kill myself in the process. I need time to stabilize the spell. _But he couldn't stay home. If last night was a normal night, as everyone thought, staying home on such an important occasion would be suspicious.

_Pull yourself together! Your soul is wavering. The teachers will notice something's wrong. Death probably already has._

"I know you don't respect my father-"

"Kid." Liz turned toward him.

"I'm talking to myself again." He waited a moment for Liz to return her attention to the freshmen. _Fine. Call him what you want. I don't care._

_ You don't sound like you mean that._ The voice paused a minute. _Master, do you know why I call your father Death? It's because I'm afraid of death. It makes me feel better that death has a body and a voice. Does that make sense?_

_ You're afraid of everything._ Kid had lost his willpower.

_Master? You're not listening anymore, are you? I'm sorry. I'll just shut up._

Kid ignored him and continued to watch the new students. They were all so innocent. They didn't know how difficult their years at the academy would be. They didn't know about all the injuries they'd sustain. They didn't know about the fights they'd have. They didn't know about all the times their hearts would be broken. And this atmosphere of naivety made the girl from before stick out despite her small size. Kid never lost sight of her even as she wandered aimless through the crowd. She gave off the aura of a well educated aura. She knew how much life sucked.

"Hey Kiddo, do you think that girl is weird?" Patty tugged at his sleeve.

Liz moved closer to Kid. "She seems almost evil."

"There is definitely something weird about her soul. Soul Protect maybe." Kid knew he was making a rash decision.

_Master, I hate to say it, but I think you're right._

_Didn't you say that you can see past Soul Protect?_

_Master, you're not ready for that. You need to be able to not only control but manipulate your own first. You have to be able to control exactly how much of my wavelength escapes and who it hits. Then you have to be able to identify the soul using only what reverberates back. The more you let out, the easier it is to identify, but also the more likely they are to notice. It's very difficult._

"Kid?" Liz nudged him. "You zoned out."

"Sorry, I was looking really closely at her soul."

"What do you see? What makes you think it's Soul Protect?" Liz continued from where he had stopped responding.

"Something about it reminds me of Medusa. I can't quite identify what though."

"But Professor Stein said he killed Medusa. Why would he lie?"

"He wouldn't." _But that isn't the question._

_Why would he be wrong?_ His inner voice finished his thought seamlessly.

Patty turned around, having become bored with their conversation. "Hiya Lord Death!"

"Hello! How's it going son?"

"Good. The students seem to get along well. There's one girl I'm concerned about, but I otherwise have high hopes for them."

"I wasn't talking about them."

"I'm fine."

Shinigami-sama knew his son was lying when a maniacal smile creeped across his face. "Go home."


End file.
